Successful raids on Ambon and Truk highlight today. The 81st fighter group is now at Ledo preparing for China and the 14th Air Force. We may hold back and equip the group with P47D25s before deployment, I do not see the rush there. Several veteran pilots added to their rosters. When the ball starts rolling next it's going to be a long ride. We have five amphibious landings planned within thirty days. Trying to determine D-Day now is to difficult. Fuel and supply need to reach forward areas. Some major repairs need to be done. Shipping needs to be arranged. At the present most of the amphibious ships are split between Suva, Kavieng, and Pearl.

The Mamie makes 1 knot now after taking two more torps. She is riding well though and she is anxiously expected at Pearl. Southern Mist is closing on Ceylon, increased ASW and a robust escort will show her in. By the end of the month CBI command will begin to make deep sweeps into Indochina as well as Rabaul and southwest Burma. The Jug seems more than capable freeing up the Spits for central Burma and the P51s for northern Burma. Less than three weeks for the Superfortress to appear. Enterprise makes Pearl and will join Iowa and New Jersey on thier first turtle back cruise. Fuel still short for offensive Ops in SwPac. Kavieng working on expanding the port, over 700 engineers on the project. Reco aircraft can now spot into CenPac from manus and Aitape as well as much deeper in the Dutch east Indies.

Destroyers with major damage (mostly 1-2 pts) from the Namatanai campaign make port at Pearl. Major strikes ordered for Hollandia, Truk, Bhamo, and an island I forget. (it's a spot from recon with numerous aircraft from Truk to the northwest.) Wasp and Intrepid scheduled out of the yards tomorrow at Sydney. The weather is overcast in Burma and we order a large ground strike at Bhamo as well as the first sweep by P47s in central Burma from Dacca. Southern Mist concludes!! ARD-1 makes port at Columbo. DD Revenge now being repaired in repair ship mode. We'll see. She is 13S-71F-25E 98% (all major hull hits).

Little to report as no large raids fly anywhere. Enterprise with Iowa and New Jersey set sail for SwPac. IJAF night bombs from the safety of Indochina. P47s in Burma sweep empty fields. 100,ooo pts of fuel in rout to SwPac, more to depart tomorrow or the next day as Pearl is very busy at the docks.

SwPac: Wasp and Intrepid finish repairs and are returned to active duty with the fleet. They sail from Sydney tomorrow. Additional engineers and combat formations arrive in the forward areas. IJN subs have dissappeared form the Bismark sea and ocean north of Manus and New Ireland. Intel tells us we have crippled or sunk 6 boats last week alone.

Burma: IJAF night raids, we day raid. P51s and P47s sweep with no loses. IJA recons by fire at Bhamo revealing their strength as well.

West Coast: Heavily damaged subs begin to arrive at Seatle from NorPac. Culling for transports accross the west coast.

CenPac: Very little flies, orders go out to ASW units to protect our second ARD closing on the forward area. Burma: IJAF standing toe to toe with us in Central Burma downing 4 Hurricanes for the loss of one. Night bombing will stop tonight. A squadron of the 80th FG newly equiped with P47s stages forward to begin deep sweeps of IJAF bomber bases.

China: 35th Army Group released from reserve and ordered north to the Yellow River line (900av+). US 14 AAF fighter squadrons will equip with P47s before transfering to 14th AAF HQ in China. They will fly some air superiority missions in Burma first.

Burma: Akyab reaches level 8 AF and more mechanics arrive to support the expansion of the forward base. 11th Group Army divisions, Z-Force HQ, and Merrills Marauders emerge from the jungle in Burma and will begin to infiltrate the JAP rear.

SwPac: We should have 4 fleet carriers ready within a week to begin OPs. The USS Alabama is readying for sea and the long journey home to the yards on the west coast. Doubtful she will see action in '44. CenPac: fuel for the Gilberts departs Pearl as well as additional fuel for SwPac. Several more coonvoys needed to get command and suport units to SwPac. Yorktown II is two month away from service in the yards.

Burma: There has been alot of action over Rabaul in past 48 hours. Sweeps and bombing raids. Units still walking in from India from the jungle in north Burma.

China: Mitchells fly for the first time. A good sign. SwPac: Intrepid and Wasp closing on Kavieng. The 2nd ARD just off shore of Kavieng. Truk is empty of combat aircraft. The Alabama makes slow time from Australia and will likely be out of the war till mid '45 at least.

CenPac: The Massachusetts is out for a year; she makes Pearl. Enterprise is cruising west south of Makin, she should make SwPac soon. USA base forces load for SwPac.

Burma: Akyab is almost ready for sustained offensive Ops. The Royal Navy leaves port for the first time in the Bay of Bengal in over a year.

SwPac: Enterprise (short hull Essex class) is attacked by sub off New Ireland. We are lucky and the fish miss. The sub is forced to the surface and finished. Waiting on fuel to begin next phase of the war.

Burma: Most aircraft stood down to recover fatigue. The jungle holds up the Chinese and Merrills Marauders. P47s gradually replacing the P40s in the USAAF.

SwPac: Enterprise arrives in port. It looks like we have time for a carrier raid in CenPac. Several targets are quite alluring. All heavies on stand down as another group stages forward into Kavieng. 89,ooo pts of fuel due in port in the next 48 hours. This TF must make port and unload to ensure we can raid with the carriers. Iowa and New Jersey arrive with the Big E.

SwPac: Co-ordinated raids by B24s hit Woleai and Truk tring to close the airfields. Some fighters do rise at Woleai. A full bomber group scheduled to hit the island again tomorrow. Carrier TFs are at sea; target:Babeldaob. B24s from Port Morseby hit Jap bases in Dutch New Guinea.

"I appreciate your understanding. At this point I will concede the game. If you want to see what the Empire’s situation is, the password is ‘bear’.

This has been quite a ride! Thanks for the game."

THINZ

Zulu HQ note: Terry is/was a far superior tactician and strategist than I. His knowledge of the game and history are also thorough. It has been a pleasure recreating the war with him. Anyone lucky enough to draw him as an opponent should consider themselves lucky. The game has reached a point where I can sweep and bomb at will, my CV/CVL aircraft strength is over 625 not including a fleet carrier recently arrived on the west cpoast or the CVEs. B29s are arriving. P40s at long last are converting to the monster P47D25. As we intended to play along historical lines PDU was off with an historical OOB. Terry quickly and efficiently gathered all the territory gathered by the IJN/IJA by mid late 1942, defeated me in the first two carrier engagements completely, and gained air superiority over all captured theaters. Only weight of numbers turned the tide. I doubt I would be interested in the scenario 1CG again.

"I appreciate your understanding. At this point I will concede the game. If you want to see what the Empire’s situation is, the password is ‘bear’.

This has been quite a ride! Thanks for the game."

THINZ

Zulu HQ note: Terry is/was a far superior tactician and strategist than I. His knowledge of the game and history are also thorough. It has been a pleasure recreating the war with him. Anyone lucky enough to draw him as an opponent should consider themselves lucky. The game has reached a point where I can sweep and bomb at will, my CV/CVL aircraft strength is over 625 not including a fleet carrier recently arrived on the west cpoast or the CVEs. B29s are arriving. P40s at long last are converting to the monster P47D25. As we intended to play along historical lines PDU was off with an historical OOB. Terry quickly and efficiently gathered all the territory gathered by the IJN/IJA by mid late 1942, defeated me in the first two carrier engagements completely, and gained air superiority over all captured theaters. Only weight of numbers turned the tide. I doubt I would be interested in the scenario 1CG again.

THANK YOU FOR READING ALONG!!!!

This outcome does not present the Japanese player in a good light. IIRC Japan was still ahead in VPs and it was going to be quite an effort for the Allied player to achieve a marginal victory, let alone a decisive victory, as outlined in s.17 of the manual.

Surely it could not come as a surprise to any Japanese player that eventually any Allied player who plays sensibly will have the means to strike back and severely circumscribe Japan's freedom of action. That however does not mean that an Allied victory will automatically follow. Once again we have a demonstration of why the victory levels outlined in s.17 of the manual are such an integral element to playing this game.

As far as the TWITS are concerned, they have been a most entertaining bunch of chaps. Though Zuluhour HQ often seemed to despair of the actions undertaken by the TWITS, I never doubted that they would surprise us with further ... antics. I believe I express a widely held view by regular Japanese players that they would relish an opportunity to come up against the same TWITS again. For let it not be doubted, the TWITS won this game. Though the American Dominion were to last a 1000 years, never have so many owed so much to so few TWITS. This was their finest hour ... oops wrong theatre, wrong people.